# Dangers Of Aspertame, Splenda & All Other Artificial Sweeteners



## MsCuppyCakes (Jan 18, 2008)

With the obesity epidemic the number of diet foods and foods containing artificial sweeteners is rising. Just the other day I went to go buy whey protein powder and found a bunch of them contained Splenda. Anyways, below are 2 excerpts from two books I have read. One is quite length so I will highlight key words in that one. And, if you decide not to read it all the key message is that artificial sweeteners are very bad for your body, very unhealthy, and should never be ingested.



From the book _Skinny Bit**_, by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin

"When aspartame was put before the FDA for approval, it was denied _eight_ times. G.D. Searle, founder of aspartame tried to get FDA approval in 1973. Clearly, he wasn't bothered by reports from nueroscientist Dr. John Olney and researches Ann Reynolds (hired by Searle himself) that aspartame was dangerous. Dr. Martha Freeman, a scientist from the FDA Division of Metabolic and Endocrine Drug Products, declared, 'The information submitted for review is inadequate to permit a scientific evaluation of clinical safety.' Freeman recommended that until the safety of aspartame was proven, marketing the product should not be permitted. Alas, her recommendations were ignored. Somehow, in 1974, Searle go approval to use aspartame in dry foods. However, it wasn't smooth sailing from there. In 1975, the FDA put together a task force to review Searle's testing methods. Task force team leader Philip Brodsky said he 'had never seen anything as bad as Searle's testing' and called the test results 'manipulated.' Before aspartame actually made it into dry foods, Olney and attorney and consumer advocate Jim Turner filed objections against the approval. In 1977, the FDA asked the U.S. attorney's office to start grand jury proceedings against Searle for 'knowingly misrepresenting findings and concealing material facts and making false statements in aspartame safety tests." Shortly after, the U.S. attorney leading the investigation against Searle was offered a job by the law firm representing Searle. Later the same year, he resigned as U.S. attorney and withdrew from the case, delaying the grand jury's investigation. This caused the statute of limitations on the charges to run out, and the investigation was dropped. And he accepted the job with Searle's law firm. Stunning. In 1980, a review by the Public Board of Inquiry set up by the FDA determined that aspartame should not be approved. The board said it had 'not been presented with proof of reasonable certainty that aspartame is safe for use as a food additive.' In 1981, new FDA Commissioner Arthur Hull Hayes was appointed. Despite the fact that 3 out of 6 scientists advised against approval, Hayes decided to overrule the scientific review panel and allow aspartame into limited dry goods. In 1983, he got it approved for beverages, even though the National Soft Drink Association urged the FDA to delay approval until further testing could be done. That same year, Hayes left the FDA amid charges of impropriety. The Internal Department of Health and Human Services was investigating Hayes for accepting gratuities from FDA-regulated companies. He went to work as a consultant for Searle's public relations firm. Interesting. The FDA finally urged Congress to prosecute Searle for giving the government false or incomplete test results on aspartame. However, the two government attorneys assigned to the case decided not to prosecute. Later, they went to work for the law firm that represented Searle. Fascinating. Despite recognizing 92 different symptoms that result from ingesting aspartame, the FDA approved it for use, without restriction, in 1999. Brilliant. So many people have been sickened from this sh*t that there are aspartame victim support groups. Some of the 92 aspartame effects listed by the FDA include memory loss, nerve cell damage, migraines, reproductive disorders, mental confusion, brain lesions, blindness, joint pain, Alzheimer's, bloating, nervous system disorders, hair loss, food cravings, and weight gain. Aspartame is a $1 billion industry. The National Justice League has filed a series of lawsuits against food companies using aspartame, claiming they are poisoning the public. In September 2004, a class action lawsuit was filed for $350 million against NutraSweet and the American Diabetics Association. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfelt is named in the suit for using political muscle to get aspartame approved by the FDA. NutraSweet and Equal contain aspartame. When ingested, one of aspartame's ingredients, methyl alcohol, converts into formaldehyde, a deadly neurotoxin. In addition to aspartame, Equal contains the amino acid phenylalanine. Phenylalanine occurs naturally in the brain. But high levels can increase the chance of seizures and lead to depression and schizophrenia. There are no lesser of the 2 evils. NutraSweet and Equal are both evil. Sweet &amp; Low is no saint, either. It is an artificial sweetener that contains saccharin, a coal-tar compound. Stay away. Because we're having so much fun, let's bash the sh*t out of Splenda, 1 of the newer sweeteners. Splenda is made by chlorinating sugar, changing its molecular structure. The finished product is called sucralose. The makers of this poison tout its lack of calories and claim it's safe for diabetics. The FDA calls sucralose 98% methanol, and arsenic. Well, gee, at least it doesn't have calories. So what if it has a little arsenic? Sucralose has been found to cause diarrhea; organ, genetic, immune system, and reproductive damage; swelling of the liver and kidneys; and a decrease in fetal body weight. What a splendid product! According to Dr. Joseph Mercola in Consumer Research magazine's article "The Potential Dangers of Sucralose," "There is no clear-cut evidence that sugar substitutes are useful in weight reduction. On the contrary, there is some evidence that these substances stimulate appetite." Not only have multiple class action lawsuits been filed, but even the president of the National Sugar Association and the manufacturer of Equal are up in arms about Splenda. They each filed suit, claiming that Splenda manufacturers are misleading consumers into thinking the product is natural when it is "a highly processed chemical compound." Don't think that the giants behind artificial sweeteners and the sugar industry suddenly started caring about public health. Splenda's clever marketing is just totally screwing up their sales. But even executive director for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Dr. Michael F. Jacobson, who normally criticizes The National Sugar Association, had to agree: "Advertising and labeling, whether for products that are healthful or unhealthful, should be truthful and not misleading." Clearly, artificial sweeteners and refined sugars are bad for many reasons. Here's one more. We have a delicate balancing act occurring in our bodies at all times-pH balance. Basically, everything we eat has its own pH balance. When food is digested, it leaves an acid or alkaline "ash" in the body, depending on the food's mineral content. Surprise, surprise: Artificial sweeteners are highly acid forming. (Coffee, excessive protein, meat, pasteurized dairy, refined sugars, and fatty foods are, too.) When our bodies get too acidic, we are much more prone to illness. Sometimes, we don't even know we're sick until it's too late. But we can notice mild maladies, like skin problems, allergies, headaches, colds, or yeast infections. Or, we can experience major trauma-severe damage to our thyroid gland, liver, and adrenal glands. If our pH balance becomes to acidic, our bodies will react to protect themselves. To neutralize the acid, they will take alkalizing minerals from our reserves. If our reserves are low, the body will withdraw minerals from our bones and muscles. If that doesn't scare you, consider this: It is commonly believed that cancer cells thrive in acid environments. Now, logically, you would think that citrus fruits are acidic, but actually, when they enter the body, they are alkalizing. We know this goes against the "use your own head" idea because they seem like they'd be acidic. But they contain potassium and calcium which are alkalizing minerals. They also have a high percentage of alkaline salts. Nearly all fruits, vegetables, and legumes are alkaline when they enter the body."

*From the book The Schwarzbein Principle 2 by Diana Schwarzbein, M.D. with Marilyn Brown*

"Artificially sweetened beverages: Avoid all beverages with artificial sweeteners. Aspartame, saccharine, sucralose and other artificial sugars all damage the cells of your body. Keep these toxic chemicals out of your system because they will age you faster."

"Artificial Sweeteners: You can stop these chemicals cold turkey because they do not affect your adrenal glands like refined sugars do. The only alternative sugar that I recommend is a product called Stevia because it is not a toxic chemical. I do not endorse or recommend that you use any type of artificial sweetener. I do not like aspartame, acesulfame K, sorbitol, sucralose or saccharine because they are all harmful. Alternatively, use a small amount of real honey instead of artificial sweeteners. Although honey causes a rise in insulin levels, it is always better to ingest real food."


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## bellagia (Jan 18, 2008)

Yup this is true...artificial sweeteners are the worst. I prefer the natural sugar cane cubes for sugar.


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## Ashley (Jan 18, 2008)

As of right now, the dangers of artificial sweeteners are still being debated for many reasons. This article is a bit one-sided.


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## AprilRayne (Jan 18, 2008)

I'm not too worried about it! I gotta have me some Diet Coke! LOL


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## magosienne (Jan 18, 2008)

many studies have been done in Europ, and it was authorized. splenda was also recommended to my mom as a better sweetener than the one we used to get before named Canderel(which is aspartame). i'm sure it's bad to eat too much of it, as in every food, but a spoon in your coffee i'm sure it's okay.


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## Jennifer (Jan 19, 2008)

what's the source? it lists book, but which website is it from?


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## farris2 (Jan 19, 2008)

I never used sweeteners before Splenda..now I'm switching to Stevia.


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## dismalspectre (Jan 20, 2008)

My husband is diabetic, and uses Splenda in coffee. He drinks diet sodas, too. His doctor knows and approves of it. Neither of us have noticed any sort of weirdness or side effects from it. *shrug* Maybe-sorta-possible-but-maybe-not damage from artificial sweeteners is a much safer bet than sky high blood sugar levels.


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## Lia (Jan 20, 2008)

Originally Posted by *dismalspectre* /img/forum/go_quote.gif My husband is diabetic, and uses Splenda in coffee. He drinks diet sodas, too. His doctor knows and approves of it. Neither of us have noticed any sort of weirdness or side effects from it. *shrug* Maybe-sorta-possible-but-maybe-not damage from artificial sweeteners is a much safer bet than sky high blood sugar levels. I agree.


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